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portlander23

(2,078 posts)
Mon Dec 26, 2016, 12:50 PM Dec 2016

Meet Emma, a transgender woman who voted for Trump

Hello from across the aisle: Meet Emma, a transgender woman who voted for Trump
Queerty

First things first, what led you to vote for Trump?

Personally, I just have a trust issue when it comes to believing Clinton will do the things she says she will do. She may today support the public’s support on a topic that most would agree on, but what about when she goes into private meetings with lobbyists and other powerful people in government? The next week she may completely flop on her support.

OK, well, how about this: The vast majority of the people Trump has selected to be in his cabinet have a long and vocal history of being anti-LGBTQ, including VP-elect Mike Pence, Attorney General pick Jeff Sessions, HUD secretary pick Ben Carson, Department of Education pick Betsy DeVos, top White House advisor Steve Bannon, and Secret of State pick Rex Tillerson to name a few.

This is where I have the biggest problem with a Trump presidency. I do not agree with some of the things his cabinet members have said in regards to the LGBTQ community. Will the road ahead be an easy one for LGBTQ rights? No. Was it ever? No. How did we get to where we are now, in terms of progressing LGBTQ rights? People stood up for the community and pushed things forward. I think we all have a responsibility to keep that up, and not to rely on politicians to have our best interests at heart. If we rely on them, then I think we’ll find that they will make policy decisions based on their sole opinion. However, our government doesn’t reflect the ideals of one person, but instead it is supposed to represent the people. If the people have widespread support over an issue, then it’s our responsibility to move things forward. If we’ve done it before, then I believe we can do it again.

But what if we can’t? What if we lose the fight for equality because of the extreme cabinet he’s put in place?

I don’t anticipate LGBTQ issues will be something they will bring up on their own agenda, which is unfortunate, but that doesn’t mean that we have to stop there. We can still organize, speak up on what we’d like to see change, and bring it to people’s attention. I don’t think we will ever “lose that fight,” because things are far from where they should be on LGBTQ issues, and as long as people get involved and fight for what they want to see changed, then the fight will always continue.


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heaven05

(18,124 posts)
2. deplorable idiot
Mon Dec 26, 2016, 01:10 PM
Dec 2016

who said a transgender person can't be or be able to recognize that they are racist, sexist, xenophobic and homophobic, and without a clue. geez

True_Blue

(3,063 posts)
4. So she trusts a racist lying narcissistic sociopath
Mon Dec 26, 2016, 01:37 PM
Dec 2016

More than Hillary. She's parroting nothing but RW rhetoric throughout the entire interview. I'll bet she believes Hillary keeps sex slaves in pizza parlors too.

 

tonedevil

(3,022 posts)
6. This is a very stark...
Mon Dec 26, 2016, 01:39 PM
Dec 2016

example of someone voting against their own interests. I'm thinking this person is really well off and doesn't have any clue what they have just done. How might Emma feel when being "unnatural" in that way is a felony?
The sentence

I don’t anticipate LGBTQ issues will be something they will bring up on their own agenda
is really telling. Of course the Trump administration is going to bring up LGBT issues. They will want to criminalize them and get them in prisons as quickly as possible. It won't seem surprising if no one comes to their aid much like the famous poem. I am deeply angered yet I weep for Emma.

JudyM

(29,122 posts)
7. So we have to rise up on our own, and not bother supporting politicians who promote our cause.
Mon Dec 26, 2016, 02:03 PM
Dec 2016


Because we can't count on any of them?! This fortunately is -now- far from true.

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,355 posts)
11. The problem with people like "Emma"
Mon Dec 26, 2016, 10:23 PM
Dec 2016

is that they genuinely seem to believe one of two things:

1. They are part of a privileged few whom have gotten to a good place in their life, financially, socially, etc. and think that they'll weather whatever storms come their way, no matter who is in charge or no matter what the consequences.

2. They believe that Trump is possibly an "ok" person because he didn't spend a bunch of time explicitly ranting about LGBTQ persons during the campaign and are oblivious to the fact that nearly everybody he has appointed to fill his cabinet (and will likely appoint to the Courts) are virulently anti-LGBTQ. Emma, strangely, seems to know this and disregards it anyway and/or believes that it doesn't matter unless Trump does or says something negative towards LGBTQ himself. My own guess is that Trump is not much of a bible thumper personally and probably wouldn't go after LGBTQ persons himself but that doesn't mean that he will fight against Republicans in Congress, statehouses, and his own Cabinet trying to attack LGBTQ persons.

What do we do to win (back) people like "Emma"?

CakeGrrl

(10,611 posts)
12. Teach "Emma" how the branches of the Federal Govt work
Mon Dec 26, 2016, 10:34 PM
Dec 2016

and show her where those anti-LGBTQ appointees and lawmakers are located within those branches.

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,355 posts)
17. It seems to me
Tue Dec 27, 2016, 12:36 AM
Dec 2016

that there are a LOT of people whom need some basic remediation in terms of civics and how government is supposed to work. Can we get some people to get out there and do some more Schoolhouse Rocks videos about how government works, bills become laws, etc?

uponit7771

(90,225 posts)
13. "I dont anticipate LGBTQ issues will be something they will bring up on their own agenda"meas didnt
Mon Dec 26, 2016, 10:36 PM
Dec 2016

... pay attention to what the fuck Trump said at all during the GE

Oneironaut

(5,461 posts)
16. This is foolish. Trump's Supreme Court and Cabinet picks will have a devastating effect on the LGBT
Tue Dec 27, 2016, 12:01 AM
Dec 2016

community. Does Emma want to be dragged out in chains for taking a pee? Is she okay that thugs murdering members of our community are being given a silent pass? Is she fine with the fact that the men making laws in her country will call her a man, claim that she's dangerous to children, claim that she is mentally ill / that being transgender isn't real, and state that her life really doesn't matter?

Is she fine with the fact that, given the prospect of no hope and a country that hates them, many transgender men and women will choose to kill themselves?

Trump openly supports bigots who don't think Emma has a right to live. They hate her and everyone else in the LGBT community. That is an indisputable FACT.

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,355 posts)
18. Many Trans people I know (and I am one)
Tue Dec 27, 2016, 12:46 AM
Dec 2016

Are terrified about what's going to happen under Trump. My guess is that "Emma" doesn't want any of those things to happen to her either but is oblivious to the fact that whatever Trump said or didn't say about LGBTQ persons during the campaign, he won't have our backs when Congress and statehouses go after LGBTQ persons. Hillary Clinton, like Barack Obama, definitely would have.

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